January 1, Serial Squatter Terrorizes California Homeowners for Decades — Thanks to One Insane Law

Wyatt’s Take

• British actress weaponized California’s broken tenant laws to squat in Malibu homes for years, allegedly scamming cancer patients and elderly widows
• Homeowners couldn’t legally evict her even after she changed locks, stole credit cards, and demanded thousands to leave
• California protects squatters more than property owners — that’s the real crime here

An alleged serial squatter is finally getting the spotlight she deserves — in a new Hulu docuseries exposing how she allegedly terrorized Southern California homeowners for nearly two decades. Ellie Mae McNulty, a British actress and screenwriter, now stars in episode 2 of “Squatters: Get the F*** Out of My House,” titled “The Paradise of Malibu.”

The series recounts how McNulty allegedly charmed her way into luxury homes along the coast, then weaponized California’s tenant-friendly laws to refuse leaving. Her victims include some of the most vulnerable people you can imagine.

One of her alleged targets was Alden Marin, an artist battling stage IV cancer who made the mistake of letting McNulty crash at his home in fall 2021. She told him she only needed a few days while her own place was being finished.

That “few days” turned into a month-long nightmare. The once-polite guest allegedly became rude, demanding, and increasingly hostile, according to Vanity Fair.

While staying at Marin’s home, McNulty allegedly used his credit cards without permission, changed the locks while he was hospitalized for cancer treatment, and intentionally clogged his plumbing by flushing cloth napkins down the toilet. She also allegedly demanded as much as $20,000 just to leave his own home.

“She saw in my brother a kind of perfect storm,” Alden’s sister, Mindy Marin, told Vanity Fair.

“She has this actressy English thing about her. Super flirty. She’s just got it down—especially the men—by being this English rose.”

McNulty has disputed Marin’s account, claiming he had the locks changed while her possessions were still inside the residence. But that’s a convenient story when you’re squatting in someone else’s home.

Here’s the real kicker: California’s insane laws allow guests — even those who don’t pay a dime in rent — to be treated as legal tenants after a certain period. That makes it nearly impossible for homeowners to immediately remove unwanted houseguests, even when they’re being robbed and terrorized in their own homes.

Marin eventually dragged McNulty to court in 2022, and a judge finally ordered her to vacate. But the damage was done, and he had to spend thousands in legal fees to reclaim his own property.

After the ordeal, Mindy Marin did some digging and uncovered more than 10 legal cases involving McNulty stretching back nearly two decades. The most recent cases were tied to other residents around Point Dume, the exclusive Malibu enclave.

McNulty’s alleged past victims paint a disturbing pattern. They include an 80-something Santa Monica widow, a yoga teacher who said McNulty stiffed her on rent and classes, and numerous others who claimed the accused squatter exploited California’s tenant protections to drag out her stays as long as possible.

This is what happens when a state cares more about protecting freeloaders than honest homeowners. California has created a system where criminals can game tenant laws, and property owners have almost no recourse.

While McNulty enjoyed free housing in million-dollar Malibu homes, her alleged victims — including a cancer patient and an elderly widow — were left fighting in court just to reclaim what was rightfully theirs.

Wyatt Matters

This isn’t just a California problem — it’s a warning for the rest of America. When states prioritize squatters’ rights over property rights, they create a playground for con artists and criminals. Hardworking Americans save their whole lives to own a home, and the government should protect that investment, not enable parasites who exploit loopholes. Property ownership is a cornerstone of the American Dream, and laws that undermine it chip away at everything we stand for.